Do You Have to Be Licensed to Administer Restylane or Botox?

In Canada, only licensed medical professionals can administer Restylane, Botox or other injectable products classified as pharmaceuticals. This means that any licensed doctor or nurse can perform injections.

Properly licensed doctors (MDs and DOs) and registered nurses (RNs) and physician's assistants (PAs) under the supervision of a doctor may inject Botox or Restylane. The degree of supervision may be the real question, however.

In some spas, nurses perform these injections for clients or patients without the direct supervision of a physician in some cases. The "supervising physician: may be nothing more than a signature on a form somewhere, for which a fee is paid by the spa to the doctor. Legal--yes; appropriate--you decide for yourself!

I'm not saying a doctor necessarily has to be right there to "supervise" a trained, experienced, skilled RN injector. BUT, any patient who has injections by such a person SHOULD know who the supervising physician is, and who is responsible if there is a complaint or concern. (see the 40% who feel it is "not worth it" on this forum.)

Hi Kiss.  In California, you have to have at minimum a registered nursing (RN) license to provide these injections.  In this case, they are performed under the supervision of a physician.

In New York State Botox injections must be performed by a licensed individual, but more importantly you should be sure that the person is qualified, and experienced.  Knowledge of the anatomy and anatomical variations is important. Ordering from the correct supplier to ensure that it is FDA-approved product is crucial. Unwanted visual effects from improperly injected Botox take months to go away so it is worth seeing an experienced dermatologist, plastic, ENT facial or oculoplastic surgeon for this treatment.

You have to be a licensed medical professional to order the product. The qualifications of the individuals who can administer or inject Botox vary by state.